Cushioning device for crates and other packages.



J. STBINBUGH L. KAUFMANN. OUSHIONING DEVICE FOR OBATES AND OTHER PACKAGES.

APPLICATION rmm rnn.-s,-1eoa.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909. 75

A TTOHNEYS mun UNITED s'rn'rns PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS STEINBUCH AND LEOPOLD KAUFMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CUSHIONING DEVICE FOR CRA'IES AND OTHER PACKAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Application filed February 5, 1908. Serial No. 414,406.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULIUS STEINBUOH and LEOPOLD KAUFMANN, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Cushioning Device for Crates and other Packages, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to crates, boxes, cases and other packages, adapted to hold demijohns, bottles, jugs, jars and like vessels of fragile material.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved cushioning device for use in such packages, to securely but yieldingly hold the vessel to prevent breakage thereof while in storage or in transportation, and to allow convenient insertion and removal of the vessel from the package.

The.invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described herein after and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement, parts being broken out; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same, on the line 2-2 of Fi 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of t e same, on the line 33 of Fig. 2,

and showing the vessel partly inserted in the package; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the cushioning devices, and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

The body A of the crate or other package for holding the vessel B is provided at the inside and preferably at the corners thereof with vertically disposed posts C, each supporting a cushioning bar D for engagement with the side of the vessel B, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each cushioning bar D is formed of a single piece of wood having ends D, D and a plurality of spaced flexible members D integrally united with the said ends D, D and formed by cutting slots lengthwise in the piece of wood by the use of circular saws or other suitable means.

In order to support each cushioning bar D on the corresponding base O, use is made of screwsor like supports E attached to the posts C and projecting from the inner face thereof, the supports E loosely engaging the ends D, D, as plainly indicated in Fig. 5. A flexible member D adjacent to the post C rests at or near its middle on a projection C formed on the inner face of the post C, thus keeping the cushioning barD normallyspaced from the post C but loosely supported therefrom by the use of the supports E engaging the ends D, D The inner and outer faces of the ends D and D are beveled and the faces of the innermost flexible members D are preferably grooved or hollowed out, as plainly indicated in the drawings, to snugly fit the curved side of the vessel B, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 4. By providing the post 0 with the projection O the cushioning bar D is free to swing on the said projection C as a fulcrum, so as to allow convenient insertion of the ves sel B into the crate, as indicated in Fig. 3, it being understood that when the vessel B is pushed into the crate against the cushioning ars D, then the flexible members D thereof yield in an outward direction, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3, thus cushioning the vessel B and thereby securely holding the vessel against accidental movement. It will also be noticed that by cushioning the vessel B by the use of the cushioning bars D, as described, any shocks or jars given to the crate A and incidental to the transportation of the package, are taken up by the cushioning bars D, so that the vessel B is not liable to be broken while in transportation.

The cushioning bars D can be cheaply manufactured from waste pieces of material and can be interchangeably used, as they are alike in construction, and any cushioning bar that may be injured or broken can be readily removed and replaced by another without the employment of skilled labor.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A cushioning device for crates and the like, comprising a post provided with a projection at about its center of length, and a block of wood loosely secured at its ends to the post and resting against the rojection of the said post, said block having eveled ends and provided with a plurality of slots for1ning s aced flexible members, the innermost fiexib e member being grooved or hollowed out longitudinally.

2. A cushioning device for crates and the like, comprising a post provided with a projection intermediate of its ends and a block of wood loosely secured at its ends to the post and resting against the projection of said post, said block being longitudinally slotted and having beveled ends.

3. A cushioningdevice for crates and the like, comprising a post provided with a projection intermediate of its ends, and a block of wood provided with a plurality of slots to form flexible members, said block restin against the projection of the post and secured at its ends to the said post with its lower end 1 free to move toward and from the post.

4. A cushioning device for crates and the like, comprising a post, and a block of n 00d loosely secured at its ends to the post, said block being slotted to form flexible members, the innermost flexible member having a con- I cave face to lit the curved side of a vessel.

5. A cushioning bar for crates and other packages, formed of a single piece of wood, having solid ends and parallel slots extending l between the ends in the direction of the length of the piece of wood, the slots forming flexible members integrally united with the 1 said ends, the innermost flexible member having a concave face and the ends of the block being beveled at their outer and inner faces, the latter leading to the concaved face of the innermost flexible member.

6. A crate or other package for containing a vessel, in combination with cushioning devices arranged within the body of the said ackage and each comprising a post attached to the said body, su ports on the post, and a cushion held loose y on and in the form of a piece of wood provided with slots forming spaced flexible cushioning members ranging in the direction of the post, the outermost cushioning member contacting with the post approximately at the middle of the said member, and the innermost cushioning member being longitudinally grooved.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS STEINBUOH. LEOPOLD KAUFMANN.

Witnesses V THEO. G. Hos'rnn, JOHN P. DAVIS.

the said supports 

